The Shrunken Head (Curiosity House #1)

Description

The book is about, among other things: the strongest boy in the world, a talking cockatoo, a faulty mind reader, a beautiful bearded lady and a nervous magician, an old museum, and a shrunken head.

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events.

When the museum's Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.

This sensational new series--a 2016 Edgar nominee for Best Juvenile book--combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich knowledge of the notorious relics collector H. C. Chester.

What you will find in this book:

• A rather attractive bearded lady


• Several scandalous murders


• A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head


• Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities


• A quite loquacious talking bird

What you will NOT find in this book:

• An accountant named Seymour


• A never-ending line at the post office


• Brussel sprouts (shudder)


• A lecture on finishing all your homework on time


• A sweet, gooey story for nice little girls and boys

Learn more about the series online at www.thecuriosityhouse.com

Reviews

Stupendous and stupefying! A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a Shrunken Head. If you aren't curious about Curiosity House somebody must have pickled your brain and put in a jar. Read this book immediately. -- Pseudonymous Bosch, New York Times bestselling author of the Secret Series and Bad Step right up! Step right up! Mystery, murder, curses, and sideshow freaks! Or are they superheroes? There's only one way to find out... Read Curiosity House! You'll be glad you did! -- Adam Gidwitz, New York Times bestselling author of the A Tale Dark & Grimm An absolute delight ... The story is packed with mystery, murder, adventure, humour and magic, but above all it is a beautiful evocation of loss, tempered by the gradual blossoming of friendship, trust and hope. Although aimed at younger readers, the lightness of touch and the tenderness of the message could make grown men weep. Daily Mail on LIESL & PO A gorgeous story -- timeless and magical. -- Rebecca Stead, Newbery winner for When You Reach Me LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver brings much-needed magic to an increasingly neglected age group ... there are some exquisitely drawn characters ... it's books like this, with its classic quest plot, intertwined with lyrical metaphysics, that can set a child up for life. Sunday Telegraph on LIESL & PO

Author description

Lauren Oliver is the New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and Delirium. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York. Recluse H.C. Chester is the world's leading expert on an era that was full of long-vanished magic and wonder, and has yet to be reached either in person or by phone.